Li Xiaoyao seemed to ignore Mo Water's words entirely, his expression indifferent. He had encountered plenty of so-called geniuses who were all talk.

"Han Kui, was it him who injured you?" Li Xiaoyao asked Han Kui, clearly referring to Mo Water.

"Yes, it was him!" Han Kui nodded, then leaned closer to Li Xiaoyao and whispered, "Mo Water used to be second only to the Butcher among the inner sect disciples. Now that the Butcher has entered the core disciples, he's the strongest among us. He's very powerful. I'm not in a rush to take revenge. I believe that with a bit more time, you'll definitely be able to defeat him."

Very powerful?

Among the inner sect disciples, those at the third level of the Spirit Martial Realm were already considered experts, ranking near the top. A fourth-level Spirit Martial Realm cultivator could even challenge the position of a core disciple. If Mo Water had truly reached the fourth level, his arrogance would never allow him to remain among the inner sect disciples—he'd undoubtedly be in the core. Most likely, he was at the peak of the third level.

Such a level was indeed strong, but not invincible. At the very least, even if Li Xiaoyao couldn't defeat him outright, he was confident in his ability to retreat unscathed.

"There's nothing to discuss. You only have one chance to reconsider. Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, I won't hesitate to take your life."

Mo Water's domineering voice rang out again. Forget about an outer sect disciple who had just joined the inner sect—even a core disciple wouldn't intimidate him. Although Li Xiaoyao had grasped a hint of sword intent, his strength was still far too weak to be taken seriously.

The power of his martial spirit was not to be underestimated, and Mo Water had absolute confidence in his own martial spirit.

"There's no need to reconsider." Li Xiaoyao shook his head, a wicked, cold smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He spoke slowly, "Even if you were to kneel and beg me, I wouldn't spare you."

As his words fell, everyone's gazes froze. What nerve! Did he even realize who he was up against?

Mo Water, the number one among the inner sect disciples, valued highly by the sect. And Li Xiaoyao? Just a newly risen outer sect disciple.

"Heh... Very well, very well..." Mo Water laughed in rage, his sapphire eyes narrowing into slits. The cold light emanating from them was like that of a venomous snake, chilling and deadly, sending shivers down the spines of those around him.

"This is bad. Mo Water is angry," someone thought to themselves, feeling a sudden chill. They quickly retreated, unwilling to stay near Mo Water.

Li Xiaoyao could also sense the biting cold emanating from Mo Water. It was different from ordinary coldness—sharp and venomous.

"Mo Water what do you think you're doing? This isn't Wind Valley or the life-and-death platform," Zhao Xinyi's expression changed as she stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Li Xiaoyao.

Mo Water's claim that Zhao Xinyi was his woman wasn't baseless. In truth, there was significant history between them. Zhao Xinyi, well aware of Mo Water's terrifying nature, knew this seemingly elegant young man was nothing less than a venomous serpent.

Since Zhao Xinyi planned to bring Li Xiaoyao into the Ice Moon Sacred Palace, she naturally didn't want him to die prematurely. In her eyes, while Li Xiaoyao was strong, he wasn't yet a match for Mo Water. If they fought, he would undoubtedly perish.

"You are my woman, Zhao Xinyi. Protecting another man like this—aren't you afraid of angering me?"

Mo Water sneered, his icy blue eyes growing eerily bewitching. Those familiar with him knew that Mo Water is about to kill.

"I've never said I was your woman, and I never will be. Give up. On the contrary, I am now Li Xiaoyao's woman. If you dare to harm him, I will not let you off," Zhao Xinyi declared firmly, her beautiful eyes locked on Mo Water with unwavering determination.

The crowd erupted in murmurs of disbelief. "She actually admitted it herself—Zhao Xinyi is Li Xiaoyao's woman. Unbelievable! What kind of insane luck does this guy have to win the heart of Zhao Xinyi, the most beautiful woman in Canghai Sect?"

The surrounding gazes shifted to Li Xiaoyao, their eyes filled with a mix of envy and hostility.

Meanwhile, Han Kui, still nursing his injuries, looked at Li Xiaoyao with admiration. "Strong, truly strong! He even managed to secure Zhao Xinyi! She's the one that even core disciples couldn't win over, and she openly acknowledged it. No wonder he's my brother!"

As for Li Xiaoyao himself, his forehead began to darken with visible frustration, his face lined with black streaks of disbelief. Since when was Zhao Xinyi his woman? Noticing the hostile gazes from the crowd, Li Xiaoyao wanted to curse aloud. What nonsense was this woman spouting?

"Then I have even more reason to kill him!" Mo Water's expression turned darker, a chilling intent emanating from him.

"Then try it!" Zhao Xinyi shot back angrily.

"In Canghai Sect, there's nothing I, Mo Water, wouldn't dare to do."

A cold sneer escaped his lips, his face utterly unbothered.

"Is that so? After today, there will be things you won't dare anymore," a calm and steady voice interrupted. A figure approached from the distance, stepping into the cave dwelling with deliberate ease.

"What an arrogant man! Mo Water, do you think Canghai Sect belongs to you?" the newcomer sneered coldly, glaring at Mo Water with a trace of displeasure.

"Xue Yue, what does this matter have to do with you? It seems it's none of your business to meddle," Mo Water retorted with equal displeasure, his gaze sharp and venomous.

"The gall of Mo Water is truly unmatched. How dare he insult a sect elder?" the crowd whispered among themselves in shock.

Xue Yue was none other than an outer sect elder of Canghai Sect, and very few would dare to cross him.

"Hmph! Li Xiaoyao and the others came here to receive their inner disciple tokens, yet you threatened to kill them. What do you take Canghai Sect for? As a sect elder, am I not allowed to intervene?"

"In my territory, no, you are not," a cold voice echoed from deeper within the cave. Moments later, a middle-aged man in a blue robe stepped out.

"Elder Lu!" Mo Water greeted the blue-robed man with a faint smile. This man was also an outer sect elder, responsible for distributing disciple tokens, robes, and updating rankings on the sect's stone wall.

Elder Lu nodded warmly at Mo Water, but when his gaze shifted to Xue Yue, it grew noticeably colder.

"Xue Yue, why don't you stay in your own territory instead of coming here to stir up trouble?" Elder Lu asked disdainfully.

"What do you mean by that?" Xue Yue demanded.

"What do I mean? This area is under my jurisdiction. It has nothing to do with you," Elder Lu replied sharply.

"Are you saying that Mo Water can freely kill people here, including inner disciples?"

"If your skills are inferior, then dying isn't worth pity. Xue Yue, you're meddling too much."

The crowd was stunned. No one had expected the conflict between Mo Water and Li Xiaoyao to escalate into a dispute between two elders. Elder Lu's words were chillingly ruthless—if one's skills are inferior, they deserve death. Even for inner disciples, the sentiment was brutally harsh.

According to Elder Lu, if Li Xiaoyao was weaker than Mo Rushui and ended up being killed, it would be his own fault. The weak, unable to control their fate, are pitiful.

Li Xiaoyao, too, understood Elder Lu's meaning. Though a smile lingered on his face, his heart was filled with an icy bitterness.

He had come to receive his inner disciple token, yet the elder responsible for distributing it claimed that his lack of strength compared to Mo Rushui made him deserving of death. What kind of reasoning was this?

As for Xue Yue, Li Xiaoyao had only met him once. Just a few days ago, Elder Bei had tasked Xue Yue with guarding the Sun and Moon Pavilion. It was clear Xue Yue was one of Elder Bei's people.

"Senior Elder Xue," Li Xiaoyao suddenly called out. Xue Yue turned his gaze toward him.

"Thank you," Li Xiaoyao said with a faint smile. Then, stepping forward, he faced Elder Lu and Mo Water directly.

"Elder Lu, I, Li Xiaoyao, am here to receive my inner disciple token and robes," he declared.

Elder Lu glanced at Li Xiaoyao indifferently, his eyes filled with disdain. Opposing Mo Rushui? A death wish. Mo Water not only possessed incredible strength and talent but also had an exceptionally powerful backing.

For Elder Lu, winning Mo Water's favor was far more important than dealing with someone like Li Xiaoyao, who wasn't worth mentioning.

"Elder Lu, I, Li Xiaoyao, am here to receive my inner disciple token and robes," Li Xiaoyao repeated, his voice clear and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Know your place," Elder Lu said with a cold sneer, his gaze sweeping over Li Xiaoyao. With a single, disdainful word, he barked, "GET OUTTTT!!!!!!!!"